The airport professional's source for airport industry news, articles, events, and careers.
Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/193245
40 under forty AGE 37 FIN BONSET ❘ SENIOR MANAGER THE LOUIS BERGER GROUP/GLOBAL AVIATION SERVICES FIN Bonset's grandfather was an expert airplane modeler and took him to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to watch airplanes every weekend. "I fell in love with aviation when I was 4 years old," says the senior manager of The Louis Berger Group/ Global Aviation Services. Bonset started his aviation career after six years of college at the Florida Institute of Technology where he obtained both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees (in addition to his FAA commercial pilot license for multiengine aircraft and instrument rating). During this time, Bonset started working for Palm Beach County, Fla. as a noise abatement intern. This foot in the door eventually led to a junior airport planning position with a smaller domestic firm where he began immersing himself into airport master planning. Utilizing his international background, Bonset acquired positions with international firms and quickly rose to senior airport planner levels working on projects in various countries within Latin America. Domestically he was able to work for airports including Southwest Florida International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport. Bonset held a full-time position as a professor of aeronautics at the Florida Institute of Technology for three years. He still teaches there as an adjunct professor and has helped more than 1,000 students pursue aviation careers. He ran his own consulting company where he had dual roles: as CEO and project manager for a multitude of international airport planning projects, and worked as director of marketing, sales and development for software company, Simtra AeroTech. Bonset now works as a senior project manager for The Louis Berger Group where he is responsible for international projects and business development. Current projects with Louis Berger include work in Brazil, Colombia, Namibia, Israel, and Phoenix. He tells those hoping to make their mark on aviation to: "Try something new within your field every two years and never get stuck doing one type of skill. A background in multiple disciplines will allow you to excel and give you the ultimate freedom of developing your own direction YEARS IN AVIATION in your career." 16 "Fin has many achievements and has been involved in international planning for 16 years. As adjunct professor at Florida Tech's College of Aeronautics, he has taught airport planning and design to more than 1,000 students, and received the college's distinguished faculty award in 2006." JAVIER GONZALEZ, SENIOR MANAGER/GLOBAL AVIATION, THE LOUIS BERGER GROUP AGE 25 BRYAN DIETZ ❘ BRYAN Dietz, C.M., recalls as a young person watching the activity going on at the airport and feeling excited and intrigued. He found it fascinating to have that many people doing different things just to get a plane off the ground. Today Dietz spends his days helping get aircraft off the ground as the air service development manager for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, where he assists in the development of passenger and cargo flights from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Dietz is in his third year with the Allegheny County Airport Authority after his previous role as an aviation business analyst working with multiple departments at PIT. This position interacts with airlines and key stakeholders on opportu- 14 airportbusiness October 2013 AVIATION BUSINESS ANALYST ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY nities to enhance the economic viability of PIT and the region through creative business cases, programming and communicating the needs of the community locally and beyond. In 2013, Dietz was part of a team that helped develop routes to five new airports from PIT that will begin flying in late 2013 or early 2014. It is working with so many different people, whether at the airport, in the community, in the airlines, or fellow alumni from college that makes the job exciting for him. And the high he gets every time the airport launches a new route further fuels his excitement. "I love the feeling of being part of a new flight," he says. He says he enjoys working with air carriers to enhance air service to Pittsburgh and on broader issues for carriers such as airport congestion issues and international air service. Two projects he has been a part of during his career are the "PIT CASE" program, which is operationally designed to alleviate congestion at crowded airports, and the "PIT Connector Project" that supports strategic regional air service to medium-hub airports. Dietz, a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is a member of organizations such as the Airports Council International–North America (ACI-NA), American Association of Airport Executives (A.A.A.E.), the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and Cargo YEARS IN AVIATION Network Services (CNS). 3